Prayer controversy: Clive Solomon walks out of meeting | Manawatu-Wanganui News | Local News in Manawatu-Wanganui

Wanganui District councillor Clive Solomon walked out of a council meeting yesterday after councillors recited the controversial council prayer - not once but twice.

The council voted to keep the controversial prayer intact, pending the outcome of a complaint to the Human Rights Commission.

The issue was first raised by Mayor Annette Main at a council meeting in April. Ms Main told councillors Mr Solomon objected to the prayer and said she wished them to vote at a later date on whether to keep it.

At yesterday's full council meeting, Ms Main asked Councillor Allan Anderson - who co-wrote the prayer with his wife Rosemary - to read the prayer before the meeting began. Mr Solomon left the council chamber while the prayer was read, then returned.

Ms Main formally opened the meeting and addressed the issue of the prayer in her mayoral comments.

"You may have noticed that the prayer was held before the opening of the meeting because a complaint about the prayer has been made by one of the councillors to the Human Rights Commission," she said.

"I thought [saying the prayer outside the meeting] was a pragmatic decision. I am waiting for a response from the commission before deciding how to deal with this."

Several councillors, particularly Nicki Higgie, Michael Laws and Sue Westwood, strongly objected to the prayer being said outside the meeting.

Mrs Higgie said she believed that while the matter was before the Human Rights Commission the status quo should remain.

Mr Laws told Ms Main it was a matter for the council to decide, not her alone.

"You can suggest alternatives but you can not unilaterally suspend the prayer."

He told council the Human Rights Commission had no jurisdiction over the council.

"It cannot guide this council. It's just a bunch of politically correct liberals who couldn't get a job elsewhere."

Councillor Randhir Dahya moved a motion that the council continue to read the prayer at the start of each full council meeting.

Only Mr Solomon voted against it.

Ms Main said she did not realise "it was so important that the prayer was said within the meeting".

She asked councillors if they wished the prayer to be read again, and most agreed to that.

However, at this point, Mr Solomon left the council chamber and did not return for the remainder of the meeting.

When approached by the Wanganui Chronicle, Mr Solomon initially declined to make any comment. He later told the Chronicle he did not wish to comment "because the matter was before the Human Rights Commission".

Mr Solomon would not confirm he had lodged the complaint with the Human Rights Commission.

However, he told the Wanganui Chronicle in April he intended to ask the commission to make a ruling on the prayer.